Norton - Malbec @@@@@ (5 corks!)

Retails: $6.99 (Total Wine)

Malbec is an intellectuals' wine. The tastes are so nuanced and subtle but so incredible that if you're solely drinking wine for the sake of drinking, you'll miss the opportunity to savor Malbec's showcase of flavors. If you're in a contemplative or pensive mood, Malbec is an excellent wine for meditation and reflection.

Fall has always been a reflective time for me. The impressive undulation of changes within the season that occurs during this time is inspiring ---the first crisp evening in September, the nostalgic instances of warmth during October's Indian Summer, the occasional flurries that fall prematurely in November (depending upon your latitude); it begs to be pondered and illicit change and movement within yourself.

I can take the bit of cold during this time but it's the lack of sunlight that really makes it difficult. It strums a morose chord within me, a notion of solitude that isn't present during the warmer months. Things seem lonelier, emptier, without a solid dose of sunlight daily. Despite my best efforts to be social, somehow it seems everyone is preparing for impending hibernation--even here in Florida where we won't see temps below 40. I'll try not to project too sullen a tone, I guess it's only a change of season at heart. Cheers to a Malbec worth calming the woes of society and societal ills.